The Present and the Future, Never the Past
by El-Queso
Summary: Danny knew he was adopted, it was no secret. But the mind, is a funny thing. Danny struggles with his mind, his father and his future to unlock the secrets of his past. Rated T for mild use of language. AU. Please review, it makes me want to continue.


Amity Park had always been an odd town, full of conspiracies, old, creepy buildings, not to mention the people.

Namely, the ghost hunters.

Because of the many sightings and conspiracies surrounding the old town, it had been labeled as "The most haunted city in America" and got most if it's revenue from the small amount of tourists who stopped here, hoping to catch a sighting of the "Lonely Guitar-Ghost" or the "Warehouse Ghost", who, reportedly was always in the old cardboard-box warehouse.

But these "spirits" not only attracted cameras, but none other than Maddie and Jack Fenton, the self-proclaimed "Leading Ghost Experts of the World". Maddie and Jack were Ghost-Hunters, and where else would a married couple of ghost hunters live but the most haunted town in America?

And their property on 4th Gaurdaile Drive is where our story Begins.

"MOOOOOOMMM! DAAAADDDD! I'M HOME FROM 1ST GRADE!"

The little boy didn't even flinch as the scream found it's way to his ears, even from all the way upstairs. . It was only his older sister. Every day she came home announcing the same thing, as if the entire family _forgot_ she was in the 1st grader. He justblew some air out of his nose and continued constructing his lego moon-base. Well, the set was actually instructed to be built as a "Lego-City police station and prison" but he didn't pay any mind to the instructions. It made a better moon-base, anyway.

He hummed the star wars theme song as he snapped the blocks together expertly, the vision in his mind coming together, more or less. That is, until he placed his last grey block. And he was only halfway done! He blew some more air out of his nose in exasperation. He knew he could use the thousands he had in the giant bin he kept in his closet, but that would mean using different colors that wouldn't contrast very well with the grey building. He just sighed and toddled his four-year old self over to his closet.

As he opened the door, he heard the thumps of the staircase as his whole family marched up them. Again he made no move to indicate he had sensed this, instead opening his large plastic tub with the words "Lay Gos" written sloppily on the front in blue marker. He began to rummage through the bin, examining random pieces and putting the "useful" ones in a cup he kept in the bin.

He heard someone clear their throat behind him, but he was too distracted to care. "Danny!" He heard his mother call. "Yeah, mommy?" he called to the door where his entire family had gathered. He was examining a wheel he figured might be useful for the rover. "Jazz got a check plus on her spelling test, Danny-boy!" He heard his father say with his usual loud enthusiasm, "We're taking her out for ice cream! Let's go!"

Danny wrinkled his nose and shook his head as he plopped the wheel in his cup and began rummaging again. They were _always_ getting Ice cream, since Jazz was _always _getting check plusses. "I'm busy." He didn't say it rudely, just matter-of-factly.

Jazz stamped her foot, yelling, "Great, now I can't get ice-cream!" and she stomped down the stairs, making a loud "UGGG!" sound the whole way.

Maddie sighed, but Jack just grinned. "I call taking Jazz out for Ice-cream!" and dashed downstairs. Within seconds the Fenton Ghost hunting RV had revved up and driven away.

Maddie rolled her eyes and leaned against the door frame, watching her son walk back over to the floor where his little building was, and he began to piece more blocks onto it.

He had an intense concentration that mirrored Jack when he was working; He would sometimes stick his tongue out and had one eyebrow lifted, humming a song. The only difference was that he thought about each move carefully, unlike his father who did things quickly and "willy nilly", which was more reminiscent of his mother.

After a few minutes, his mother finally walked across the Apollo 1-themed carpet, kneeling down to his workspace. "Watcha building?" She asked teasingly, poking his nose. He wiggled his nose when she touched it and smiled slightly. "Moon base" he whispered quietly, snapping a long yellow piece in.

"Wow!" She said in the way one does when trying to make a child feel proud of their work. "A _rainbow _moon base!"

Danny huffed. "I didn't want to use all these colors, but I ran out of grey pieces." He said, again softly.

"Well I think it looks great!" She said, ruffling his hair. He nodded and began to snap a blue block in. Unfortunately, he pushed too hard and half of the wall he had been working on broke. "Oh, dang it!" Danny huffed. He gathered up the blocks that fell and began rebuilding it.

It never ceased to amaze Maddie how calm her son was. If that had happened to  
Jazz, any other small child, or even jack, they would have threw a tantrum. Danny, however, just shrugged it off and fixed the problem.

"Hmm, that's rough, but you handled it like such big boy!" Maddie said excitedly patting Danny on the head. He smiled up at her and puffed out his chest a little. "Big boys don't play with Legos, though," he informed her, going back to fixing the wall, "They play with footballs and _girls_ and stuff" He said the word "girls" like one jeers an insult.

Maddie wasn't sure how she felt about her son saying boys "play" with girls, but she only made a mental note to remind jack to block the adult channels on the tv.

"Mommy's going down to the lab now, but I'll have the walkie-talkie on," she pointed to the baby-monitor on his bed-side table, "So If you need anything just call me."

"Okay Mommy. I Love You." He said, standing up to give her a hug. She held him warmly and said " I love you too, my little spaceman!" And she was out of his room and downstairs.

Danny continued humming and building for another hour or two. At some point he heard his father and sister come home, but he didn't move from his spot, sans for more legos. After a while, he finally finished. Massaging his sore fingers, he smiled at his multi-colored creation, complete with little lego astronauts, a rover, and an American flag on top.

"Good." He proclaimed it, before standing up and stretching his back.

"Yeah, real good, kid." A deep, malicious voice said from behind.

Eyes wide, Danny turned around and gasped.

Vlad Masters was a very, very well off man. His castle in Wisconsin was large, to say the very least. But that had its disadvantages. Even as a ghost, flying his way through the castle when he heard the doorbell ring was still annoying.

Flying into his Green-Bay Packers hallway, he touched down lightly on the green and gold carpet, transforming back into his grey-haired, suit-donned human form.

Opening the huge double doors revealed nothing other than a police officer. She was very muscular, with a scowl below her blonde hair. In her hand was the smaller one of a small, black haired boy.

"Vlad Masters?" The raspy, manly voice escaped her lips.

Vlad frowned. This woman knew who she was talking to. He quickly changed that to a smile and spoke, "Indeed." with a voice that dripped with syrup.

"You've heard tell of the massacre that killed the Fenton family, no doubt."

Vlad's eyes twitched as he was reminded for the umpteenth time of Maddie's death. "Oh yes, what a tragedy!" He said dramatically. "I was close friends with-" He trailed off as he stared at the boy, who's face was buried in the purple backpack he was hugging. That couldn't possibly be…

"Sir?.." Asked the officer carefully, trying to regain his attention. Vlad realized his jaw had dropped when he looked at the boy and cleared his throat, straightening his posture. "Yes, go on." He said importantly.

"Well, according to his father's will, you're the Godfather." She gave the boy a light push into the castle. "So you are, by law, his legal guardian."

Vlad was speechless. When he woke up this morning, he was planning on an easy day filled with lab work. Now he had a _child_?" He stuttered for a moment before again straightening his tie. "What of his sister? According to the news, she only suffered injuries to the head."

"She is in the hospital." The officer said shortly. "For some odd reason, she was never labeled as your goddaughter as well, so she will not be coming under your care.

Amity Park social services have already found a family for her. I'm sure the two can visit." And with that, she marched off."

Vlad sighed. No matter, no matter. Baby steps. He shut the door and kneeled down to the small boy's height.

Before he could introduce himself or say anything to comfort the boy, he looked up. His eyes were dried with tears and so was the top of his dark purple backpack. "It's okay if you don't want me, sir. That lady sure didn't."

Vlad opened and closed his mouth a few times, before sighing and clearing his throat. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer before giving the boy a weak smile. "My name is Vlad Masters. I was good friends with your mother in college. I'm so sorry to hear about your family, dear boy."

Instead of doing the proper thing and introducing himself, the child wrinkled his nose. "I've heard too many 'I'm sorrys'" He murmured. "It's not even your fault!"

Vlad sighed and stood up. "Daniel, that's your name correct?'

"Danny." He corrected quickly, almost as if he had to do that a lot.

"Well, Danny, let's find you a room to sleep in. Come." He began to walk down the main hall and Danny followed him silently, taking everything in.

As Vlad slowly walked the halls of his house to compensate for the short strides of his follower, he wasn't exactly sure what to do with the boy.

He simply could not keep him. He had too many responsibilities, too much on his plate with out adding a large piping spoonful of child. But could he mentally handle being handed over to another unfamiliar pair of hands?

He stopped at one of the many doors in his castle. He opened it and directed the boy in, who complied without question, before starting towards his study.

It was only a few hallways over, so he sat down and rubbed his eyes. Oh, how he resented moral decisions!

"Oh Maddie, how you would resent me if you found I will be given your child up." He sighed. Covering his face with his hands, he immediately regretted saying that. "I can't can I? That child might be the spawn of that _insufferable _oaf… but he was also yours." He stood up and walked out of the study and across the hall to his room, his shoes clicking against the hardwood. He made his way over to his large king bed and reached under to find a small lockbox. He carefully took a necklace out from underneath his silky suit and unattached it from his neck. At the end of the chain was a key, and he inserted it into the box.

When it opened, it revealed three things: The deed to his castle, a small blue gem, and a picture of Maddie and himself in the freshman year of college. Just weeks before _Jack _joined the duo, becoming his best friend, and later, the person he despised most on this planet.

He touched Maddie's face lightly and whispered, "If I must. Maddie, I will raise him like he is my own."

He replaced the picture and locked the box back up before carefully placing it back under his bed.

He got up and headed to the boy to inform him of his new, permanent living situation.

"Arrg!" The cry ripped through the summer air as the jumpsuit-clad boy fell. The earth beneath him shook as his body hit the ground. Lifting himself up shakily, he looked towards the sky with defiant, neon-green eyes.

"Is that the best you got?" He yelled, getting to his feet. Above him floated a spectre clad in black mid-evil armor, with a flowing cape of purple flame. "Guess you grow a little soft when you lay in a tomb for a few thousand years, huh?" The ghost-boy continued, smirking.

Only Danny Phantom could find an excuse to taunt the opponent when it was he who had the lower hand.

The Fright Knight just issued the level response; "You are too cocky for your own good, boy." and raised his right hand, the one not clutching a bright green sword, and charged a purple, hexagonal orb of energy. As he extended his arm to launch it at his foe, it grew larger. By the time it was halfway across the field, it was more than twice Danny's size.

Danny dodged blast with a smooth leap and his grin only grew wider. "Oh come on, haven't we moved _past _basic moves yet?" He opened both palms in front of him, sending two green ecto blasts at the Knight.

The Knight did not move quickly enough and was caught in the shoulder with one of the blasts, flipping over and landing on his side a few feet from where he had stood.

At this Danny gave a triumphant "HA!" And leaped into the air, his legs morphing together to form a single, ghostly tail. "Guess a millennia takes a toll on ye olde reflexes, old man." With that he charged at the mid-evil spirit, raising his fist as he closed in for the punch.

"Ack!" he gasped as the Fright Knight's hand found his neck with lightning speed. Standing up, he pulled the boy in close and growled, "Were you never learned to not poke a dragon!" And he threw Danny across the field with inhuman strength.

He bounced off the ground twice before he actually stopped with an "oof!"Landing on his face, he groaned into the grass. "Guess if Dad needs a new quarterback for the packers, he won't have to look far." He lifted his head up and spit grass and dirt off his tongue.

His eyes widened to see the Knight was already upon him, leaping at him with sword above his head, held to stab downwards. Danny rolled to the side just as the sword came down right where his head had been.

He quickly got to his feet and charged his right hand for another blast. But before he could counterstrike, two powerful, cold arms snaked underneath his armpits and squeezed his head down. "Hey!" Danny yelled in surprise, kicking at the perpetrator.

Stuck in a full nelson, Danny could only watch as the Knight ripped the soul shredder out of the ground and brought it backhand, as to swing across Danny's torso.

Danny cringed and closed his eyes as he waited for the blow that would send him too his worst nightmare.

There was a "shink" as the sheathed his sword. "You lose again, child." He stated flatly, crossing his muscular arms. The ones holding Danny released him and he immediately whipped around to face the perpetrator. He found Skulker standing there with an amused smirk on his face. "That doesn't count! You cheated! It was a 1 v1!" He looked angrily between the cybernetic hunter and the purple-flamed knight as he said this.

Both older ghosts laughed loudly at this. "Cheated!" Wheezed Skulker as if this was the most hilarious joke he had ever been told. "You have fought many ghosts child," The Knight said, straightening himself. "You should know by now that there are now rules on the battlefield."

Skulker managed to quit laughing and gave Danny a "light" push to the shoulder. "Yeah, whelp!" He said, a chuckle managing to escape his teasing voice. "You have to be able to think on your feet and adapt to surprise situations"

Danny just mumbled something and crossed his arms. The Knight began to walk briskly and said "Come hunter, halfa." He said. " That is enough training. The Boy's father will be wanting to know how he did."

Danny sighed and followed the Knight as he flew off towards a structure in the distance, Skulker not far behind.

About 5 minutes later, the trio arrived at a large white castle placed in between two rolling hills. Heading for the tallest turret, the ghosts all phased through the wall and arrived in a very large master bedroom, with cedar hardwood floors and Green-Bay Packers gear covering every inch of wall, and bedspread.

Sitting at a desk with ten computer monitors, typing away on a holographicaly-projected keyboard was Vlad Masters, the richest man on the planet. The ghosts all touched down behind his tall desk chair. The Fright Knight fell into a bow, uttering "Your Majesty," in a rather kiss-ass tone. Skulker just gave a curt nod accompanied with a "Sir." Danny just smiled and said "Hey Dad!"

The chair wheeled around and Vlad stood up with perfect posture. "Hello, son." He gave Danny's hair a ruffle before turning to the two older ones. "How was today?"

The Knight stood up and said, "My liege, your son reflects much of your natural reflexes and power. However, like always, he is far too cocky and constantly insults his opponent. I believe it is this hard-headedness that creates a false sense of invulnerability, which is why he is so headstrong in battle."

"Hard-Headed?" Danny mumbled. "Look who's talking! You have a 1200 battle helmet on!"

Vlad heard this but ignored it and instead turned to skulker, who was visibly chuckling at Danny's statement. "Skulker, when you find the _time _to compose yourself, I'd like to hear your take on Daniels's performance." He said scathingly, narrowing his eyes.

Skulker cleared his throat in embarrassment and said, "Yes, ahem, well um… He needs to adapt to surprise situations."

Vlad nodded. "Very well. Now leave me with my son."

Both ghosts nodded and phased through the floor, leaving the white haired boy with his father.

"Dad, I-"

"Do not apologize son. I'm very impressed with the effort you have put in this summer."

Danny smiled at his father's praise. It was not as if it was rare, he just enjoyed making his father proud. At this, a white ring appeared around his body and splitting. One half went up his body, transforming his radioactive green eyes to a fair baby blue and his blizzard hair into jet black. The upper half of his black and white jumpsuit was now a dark blue, loosely buttoned polo. The other ring traveled down and turned the lower half into a simple pair of jeans and nice, plain white shoes. He might be the richest child on the planet, but he preferred to dress modestly.

His father sat back in his desk chair and crossed his right leg, folding his hands on his lap. "You could do without the constant banter and smart-alecs during battle, though Daniel." He said, "You're not a _superhero_, for pete's sake, you don't need to act so much like one."

Danny rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "Dad, it's Danny. Not Daniel." He said impatiently, "And I _do _have superpowers!"

Vlad sighed continued patiently, "You know how incorrect that statement is, _Danny._" He said rather pompously, "You have the DNA consistent of both human and ghost forms. You have a ghost half and a human half."

Danny smirked. "Sounds like superpowers."

Vlad just sighed and turned back around. "I hate to cut our talk so short, Daniel, but I must ask you to leave so as I may make myself decent." He said all this as he began to shut down the various computer monitors.

Danny cocked his head, raising an eyebrow. "Huh? Why?"

"Because I have been invited to a very important business meeting in Nevada. And I need to _persuade _Mr. Trump about a potential merger that could make us very much richer." At this He turned to face his son again, his eyes now completely red.

The two started laughing together, both maniacally and humorously, knowing _exactly _how Vlad planned to "persuade" Mr. Trump.

As his father turned around in his chair again, Danny silently fist-pumped and cheered on his way out. Just as he was closing the door behind him, his father called after him, "Don't be so excited Daniel, you will not be having the castle to yourself tonight."

Danny whipped back around and exclaimed "What?!" He opened the door back up and threw his hands into the air, "Dad, I'm 14! I don't need a babysitter!"

"Oh, I beg to differ, Daniel." Vlad said as all the screens went dark. "I seem to recall a few thousand dollars and explanations to some innocent people down in the town when you almost leveled it, the last time you were left to your own devices."

Danny huffed and began to walk down the turret's stairs, knowing better than to argue with his father.

"And besides, you love Ms. Mclain!" Vlad called after his son as he shut the door.


End file.
